


Toss and Keep

by Eastofthemoon



Category: Trolls (2016)
Genre: Branch has a lot of junk to clean out, F/M, Friendship/Love, Humor, Post Movie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-22
Updated: 2016-11-22
Packaged: 2018-09-01 12:52:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,674
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8625130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eastofthemoon/pseuds/Eastofthemoon
Summary: Poppy is trying to help Branch sort through his belongings and she stumbled upon something she didn’t expect to find.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Icka M Chif (mischif)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mischif/gifts).



Poppy hummed as she brought out the list and twirled the pencil in her hands. “Alright, Branch,” she declared, “let’s do this.”

Branch wiped the dust from his hands, then blew more off of the box he had carried out from one of his storerooms. “You know, it would be easier if you just let me bring everything with us.”

Poppy shook her head with a gentle smile. “It might! But it’s a LOT of stuff to carry and since we’re now at peace with the Bergens, you might as well get rid of all those traps and weapons you won’t be needing.”

The trolls were moving back into the old Troll Tree in Bergen town, but with it came the price of bringing all their precious items with them. Truthfully, most of the trolls didn’t have a lot, with the notable exception Branch who had accumulated quite a collection over the years.

Granted, Bridget and some of the other Bergens were going to assist and help them carry everything, but she thought it would be good for Branch to toss out a lot of junk and anything else he didn’t need.

“Yeah, yeah,” Branch muttered with a smirk as he sat on the box. “Go ahead.”

Poppy cleared her throat.

“The five hundred locks that you seemed to have spread out over all your doors,” Poppy said.

“Keep,” Branch said as he folded his arms, “I can use them to keep my things private. Besides..” He twitched slightly. “I... would still prefer to have a locked door at night.”

Poppy nodded and didn’t question further. Branch had been doing well with the truce with the Bergens, but she knew that except for Bridget, they still made him uneasy. Even at the Troll Tree, Branch had claimed a spot near the bottom of the tree where it would be easy to duck and hide in the tunnels below if needed.

Poppy didn’t question his decision, in ways all the trolls were adjusting to knowing they no longer had to fear being eaten. Branch seemed like he would take the longest to recover and she wasn’t going to question what made him comfortable in doing so.

“Okay,” Poppy continued. “The 500 spoons.” She raised an eyebrow. “Why do you have those?”

“To dig my way out in case of a cave in,” Branch said as he folded his arms. “But..I suppose you can donate them for your future ice cream parties or something.”

Poppy nodded and wrote it on her list. “So, keep.” She stuck out her tongue at the next item. “Your...fungus collection.”

Branch stepped back agast. “What? Why is that even on there? I’m not throwing that out!”

“Why do you even have it?” Poppy asked in disgust.

“Because fungus is a self-replenishing food supply,” Branch said firmly. “If I were prepared to hide here for an entire decade - which I am - it’s my fifth backup food supply.”

Poppy cleared her throat. “Need that I remind you that you don’t need emergency food supplies anymore?”

Branch fidgeted. “Well...you do, yes.”

“And it stinks,” she said.

“Only if you leave the door open, or get too close to the stone walls,” Branch argued.

“Branch, I’m trying to keep a fully open mind here,” Poppy said as she tapped her foot, “but you are NOT keeping that fungus!” She crossed her arms. “Besides, you can always raid the fungus garden King Gristle has if need be.”

Branch pouted and gave a huff. “Fine.”

Poppy smile and wrote ‘toss’ on the list, paused, scratched it out and wrote 'burn'. “Next up catapult, but we’re so keeping that so we can use it for the next party.”

Branch scratched his head. “How...are you planning to use a catapult at a party?”

“Two. Words,” Poppy said with a manic grin. “Glitter bombs!”

“Ah,” Branch said with a nod. “I will make a note to avoid that one then.” 

Poppy laughed until she started to cough and had to clear her throat. “My throat is dry. Branch, can I have a glass of water?”

“Sure, thing,” Branch said as he exited the room.

Poppy gave a smile but it dropped slightly. “And I don’t want a glass of your sweat and tears!”

“Aw, ruin the surprise why don’t you?” Branch teased as he turned the corner, although Poppy wasn’t sure whether that meant he had been joking. 

She hummed to herself as she wandered into a small room where a table and chair had been set.

“Don’t go wasting your emotion, lay all your love on me,” she sang softly, but was abruptly cut off as something crunched under her foot.

She glanced down curiously and saw she had stepped on...an invitation? Puzzled, Poppy kneeled and recognized it instantly upon picking it up. 

_It’s the invitation I gave Branch,_ she thought. _But I thought he stomped on it._

Yet, here it was intact. There were places where it had been torn and glued back together, but it was all in one piece. Poppy frowned thoughtfully as she paced and then her eyes landed on the cupboard that was covered by a small curtain. Sticking out from underneath the curtain was the corner of what she instantly recognized as scrapbook paper.

Poppy chewed her bottom lip as she tapped her finger against the invitation. She liked to respect Branch’s privacy when she could, butif Branch had really not wanted Poppy to see this he would have locked it up in a trunk or something. He had five hundred locks after all, surely he could spare one for whatever this was!

After much debating, and a quick refrain of 'Take a Chance' to help her reach a conclusion, Poppy yanked the curtain aside. Instantly, piles of brightly coloured paper tumbled out and landed on her feet. Poppy stared dumbfounded as she tried to not step onto the rainbow of paper and was then she heard a small gasp.

She glanced up to see Branch staring horrified as if the girl had just discovered his deepest darkest hidden secret, rather than a concealed love of scrapbooking. He looked close to dropping the glass of water in his hands.

Poppy gave a sheepish smile. “Sorry! Sorry! I’ll clean it up, Branch!” she said as she bent to scoop up an armful of invitations.

“Poppy, don’t!” Branch said as he set the glass of water on the table and almost spilled it. “It’s fine! I’ll take care of it - DON’T LOOK AT IT!”

It was too late. Poppy’s eyes landed on the card that sat on top of her pile and tilted her head.

“This is the invitation I made for the first day of summer party.” Poppy said as she flipped to the next one and the next one, barely noticing how much Branch was blushing with each passing card. 

“The snowball party, harvest festival, good hair day party...Aw!” She helded up the small card that was a cut out version of a tooth with a smiley face. “This was the first tooth I lost party!”

Branch’s blush had grown to the tip of his ears and he buried his face in his hands. “Yes...I know,” he muttered.”

“This was the first invitation I ever gave you!” Poppy cried as she waved it around madly and bounced. “I was so excited, and it was such a fun party! I felt bad when you didn’t come, but that was okay and-” 

She paused and her smile faltered as stopped bouncing on her heels. “Wait,” Poppy muttered as she looked to Branch. “You’ve kept EVERY invitation I gave you?”

“...Yes,” Branch said as he looked around like he was trying to find a hole to crawl into even deeper than the one he was already in.

Poppy’s eyes brows were raised as she stared back with the curious and innocent eyes of a puppy. “Why?”

Branch looked lost for words as rubbed his arms. “I..well...I don’t know. I was lazy.”

Poppy crossed her arms and had her hair point to the cupcard. “You were so lazy that you decided to stuff the invitations into a secret cupboard?”

Branch sighed as he rubbed his eyes. “No, okay...I...I just couldn’t.” He kneeled to pick one of the cards. “The first couple I did just forget to toss out, but you just kept coming back with an invitation, and then another, and then another.”

He shrugged. “I guess...I don’t know, even though I didn’t want to go to them, I..liked that you still tried to make me feel included.”

Poppy blinked momentarily stunned, and then gradually her face lit up as she gave a small squeal of delight. “Aw! That is so sweet!”

Branch’s arms dropped to this side and stared like she had just stuffed a bee into her mouth. “Sweet? No, it’s not sweet it’s weird.”

Poppy gasped and gave a huff as she stomped her foot. “It is NOT weird! It is very adorable!”

“It is not-” Branch began and then stopped himself. “Wait, why are you offended?”

“I don’t like you putting yourself down,” Poppy retorted as she rapidly picked up the cards.

“Okay,” Branch said as he picked up one of the cards. “Well, we can throw these out.”

Poppy gasped and snatched the invitation out of Branch’s hands. “Oh, no you won’t! You’re keeping these!” She hugged them proudly. “And I’m putting them in a scrapbook!”

“A scrapbook?” Branch asked dumbfounded as she watched Poppy plunk the invitations into her hair.

“Let’s see, I’ll need ribbon, new glitter...Oh!” Poppy clapped her hands. “These would be perfect for the smiley heart stickers Suki got me!”

Branch sighed in defeat as he buried his face into his hands. “I knew I should have put those under lock and key. Should have gotten another hundred locks...”

“Well, I’m glad you didn’t!” Poppy said as she tackled with him with a hug. After a moment, Branch’s face relaxed and he hugged back.


End file.
